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Alberta asked U.S. PR firm to help ‘blunt’ criticism about Keystone pipeline

The Alberta government hired a former Hillary Clinton aide to reframe a public relations war about the Keystone XL pipeline project and “blunt” criticism from environmentalists, documents show.

A U.S. public relations firm recommended a public relations “war” to “neutralize the environmental arguments” against the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. (Alex Wong / GETTY IMAGES file photo)

By Mike De SouzaOttawa Bureau

Wed., Aug. 13, 2014

OTTAWA—The Alberta government hired a former Hillary Clinton aide to reframe a public relations war about the Keystone XL pipeline project and “blunt” criticism from environmentalists, documents show.

Records released by the U.S. Department of Justice under a federal public disclosure law show that Alberta paid about $54,000 to FeverPress, a New York public relations firm that was co-founded by Hilary Lefebvre, a former journalist who served as director of Clinton’s broadcast media strategy for her presidential campaign.

The firm recommended a public relations “war” to “neutralize the environmental arguments” against the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, a project proposed by Alberta-based TransCanada to expand market access for Canadian oilsands producers.

“We recommend recasting the debate so that it is no longer perceived as environmentalists vs. Canada, good vs. bad,” said a communications proposal from FeverPress to David Manning, an Alberta government representative in Washington on March 14, 2013.

“In fact, it is important to reframe this as an American issue so that it starts to take on more positive currency in the media and thereby becomes relevant to the American public (not just the environmentalists).”

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The firm also recommended rebranding the Keystone debate as a U.S. issue between the “American public vs. special interests.”

Lefebvre didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment, but the Alberta government defended the contract, explaining that the firm helped it communicate facts about responsible resource development in the province.

“The Washington political atmosphere is a unique environment in which to operate and specialists on the ground increase our ability to reach crucial audiences,” said Sandi Walker, assistant director of communications at Alberta’s international and intergovernmental relations department.

The communications proposal — which was marked “private and confidential” and “not for distribution” — also recommended highlighting “important work that Alberta is doing to make the oil extraction process more environmentally friendly.”

“We do not have to win the environmental argument; we just need to add context and complexity to it so that we can blunt the current arguments against the pipeline,” said the communications proposal, initially uncovered Wednesday by the Hill, a U.S. politics publication. “Again, winning the war here is providing enough political cover for the U.S. government to green light the project — not winning over the environmentalists.”

The Harper government has also aggressively promoted the Keystone XL pipeline with lobbying and a multimillion-dollar international advertising campaign, including ads featuring a picture supplied by TransCanada.

Scientists and environmentalists have criticized Alberta and the federal government for using public relations campaigns to promote the oil and gas industry, urging them instead to focus on addressing environmental impacts.

FeverPress noted in its proposal that there were a number of environmental reasons to support the pipeline and suggested a series of “high profile/high impact” media interviews to take advantage of former Alberta premier Alison Redford’s U.S. travel schedule, including her visit to Washington scheduled on April 8, 2013.

“Despite the tight time frame, the good news is that Premier Redford’s willingness to act as spokesperson will lend an authoritative voice that is sorely needed in the public debate on the pipeline,” said FeverPress in the proposal.

The firm also said it would help Alberta create a positive narrative for the Keystone XL pipeline.

This would include summarizing facts, provided by Alberta, in a one-page briefing that the firm would “push out to reporters” to ensure they were informed and asking tough questions of detractors.

Redford resigned earlier this year due to criticism about high travel expenses, including her use of provincial government aircraft.

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